Star Wars: Episode VII - Echoes of the Dark Side
by Jaime Horn
Summary: As the daughter and granddaughter of two of the greatest Jedi in history, Clara Skywalker has quite the shoes to fill. When the Dark Side reemerges from a forgotten corner of the galaxy, and tragedy shatters the peace and stability of the Republic, Clara's limits will be tested, and she will be forced to embrace her destiny as a Jedi Knight... (ALT EP. VII)
1. Chapter One - The Lost World

_A/N: Hello everyone, my name is Jaime Horn. I'm an amateur author currently working on my own novel, and have become interested in writing fan fiction. I am also a massive Star Wars nerd, and while I did enjoy TFA, I found myself somewhat disappointed by the unoriginality of the plot. So, this is my attempt at creating something a little more unique. Just so you know, this story exists in its own continuity (along with the OT), and cherry-picks certain elements from the EU. Please leave feedback, and enjoy! :D - J.H_

* * *

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….

 **STAR WARS**

 **EPISODE VII**

 **ECHOES OF THE DARK SIDE**

It is a time of galactic peace, the final remnants of the Empire have signed a treaty with the New Republic, and now control only a small number of star-systems, under the banner of the First Order.

Luke Skywalker has established a Jedi Temple on the moon of Yavin IV. The Temple has expanded greatly over the past several years, now numbering close to three-hundred Jedi.

In the midst of the calm, agents of the Republic have reported strange activity from the outer-rim world of Esteril. Concerned by this development, Supreme Chancellor Leia Solo has dispatched a brave reconnaissance squad to the planet in hopes of uncovering the truth behind the anomaly…

* * *

The bright, rose-colored world of Esteril shined like a gem against the surrounding darkness, its vividness a deceitful illusion of the landscape that lay below the planet's atmosphere. Suddenly, a small Republic shuttle broke the continual silence of space, and sped towards Esteril.

As the shuttle entered the atmosphere, the occupants were greeted to a view of Aniqui City. Despite having learned of the planet's devastation, the pilot's eyes widened in shock at the sight of the destroyed metropolis. A perpetually blushing skyline hung over dilapidated buildings and ravaged speeders; there was no life to be found amongst the cracking streets of the former capital.

The shuttle landed in the midst of the rubble. Landing gear and a ramp extended from the craft's underbelly, as a commander led his troops out into the city's ruins. The commander stood stoically, as he looked over the devastation. He wore the traditional Republic blast helmet, and standard-issue beige uniform. A scarf covered his mouth, leaving only his chocolate-brown eyes visible.

A soldier eventually shouted to the commander, "awaiting your orders, Captain Solo."

Captain Bail Solo pulled the scarf away from his mouth, "we need to find a vantage point to scope out the city," he turned and pointed to the top of a nearby building, "secure that rooftop."

The soldier nodded, "yes sir," he turned to the rest of the squad, "you heard him, men, let's move!"

* * *

Bail stood on a corner of the rooftop, as his squad surveyed the city. The young captain removed his helmet and sighed, before running a hand through his short, sandy brown-hair. He had to beg his mother to let him lead the reconnaissance team; despite his rank in the army and Jedi training, she treated him like such a child. Bail's Uncle Luke, one of the greatest Jedi in history, had granted him the rank of Knight before he had chosen to end his training in order to follow his father's lead in a military career, and _still_ , his mother tried to protect him.

A young private nervously approached Bail, "Captain Solo," he began as Bail turned to face him, "I had some questions, if you don't mind."

Bail gave the young soldier a weak smile and folded his arms, "sure thing, private, fire away."

The private seemed taken aback by Bail's warmness, as if he was anticipating rejection from his superior, "uh, alright," the private began, "what exactly happened here?"

Bail soberly lowered his eyes to the ground, "I'm guessing you were born after the battle," he cleared his throat awkwardly, "around eighteen years ago, a large deposit of stygium crystals was discovered on Esteril."

The private furrowed his brow, "stygium crystals?"

"Stygium crystals are used in cloaking technology," Bail explained before continuing, "the Republic and First Order fought a major battle over the crystals on Esteril. The combat ended with one of the sides launching an orbital bombardment of the planet, killing almost every living being on the surface, and driving the Esterilians into extinction."

The private's mouth fell agape. After regaining his composure, he asked Bail another question, "which side launched the bombardment?"

Bail shook his head, "neither government has claimed responsibility; it's not exactly the galaxy's proudest moment."

Before the private could make any further inquiry, another soldier shouted to Bail, "Captain, I've got something."

As Bail approached the soldier, he was handed a pair of macrobinoculars, "take a look".

Scanning above him, Bail spotted a strange starfighter flying across the sky, before seemingly vanishing into thin air.

"What do you see, sir?" One of the soldiers asked Bail.

Bail lowered the macrobinoculars with a look of concern on his face, "there must be some sort of space-station in orbit using a cloaking device, we need to get back to Coruscant."

As the squad packed their equipment, Bail paused on the spot, and his eyes appeared to glaze over, "I sense..."

Bail turned on his heel, and looked to the skies; a trio of fighters were quickly descending towards the rooftop.

Igniting his emerald-green lightsaber, and taking a fighting stance, Bail turned to his men, "go, get back to the shuttle and take off!"

One of the soldiers began to object, "but sir-"

Bail snapped a hard glare at the soldier, "go, **now**!"

The squad quickly dashed for the stairway, as Bail prepared to face the fighters, alone.

As the fighters became closer, Bail extended his arm and used the force to grab the ship farthest to the right, and jerked it to the side, flinging it into a fiery crash on the streets below.

Bail then turned his attention to the fighter farthest to the left. Winding his arm back, Bail hurled his saber at the ship. The blade cut through the air, before embedding itself in the cockpit, and sending the fighter into a nosedive.

Staring down the remaining fighter, Bail extended a hand and grabbed the ship with the force. Before he could pull the fighter out of the sky, he felt a presence push back against his attempts, as if the pilot was engaging him in a force battle.

"What the kark?" Bail mouthed, before shrugging it off, and extending his other hand towards the fighter, telekinetically grappling for control of the craft.

Right as Bail was beginning to gain a slight advantage, the fighter opened fire on the building. The entire structure rocked and shook, cracks formed in the roof below Bail's feet. Nevertheless, Bail continued to focus on keeping the fighter at bay rather than attempting to hold the building together.

Finally, the structure collapsed, and the roof crumbled. Bail screamed before plummeting five stories in free-fall.

* * *

The troops boarded the shuttle. One of the soldiers dashed into the cockpit, "get us out of here!"

"Where's Captain Solo!?" The pilot demanded in surprise.

A solemn expression crossed over the soldier's face, "he told us to leave, we have to-," the soldier glanced out of the cockpit window, and gasped in horror, "no!" A fighter flew towards the shuttle, and began to fire. The shuttle exploded in a blazing inferno, before the fighter pulled up sharply, and ascended into the sky above.


	2. Chapter Two - A Call for Help

"Concentrate," the weathered Jedi Master reminded his students. The Padawans were practicing an ancient concentration technique of performing a handstand while levitating lightweight orbs in front of them using the Force.

The Master began to pace in front of the Padawans, before stopping in place, and closing his eyes, "the Force is everywhere, flowing through everything. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. It gives us life, it gives us purpose. The Force will guide you, you just have to embrace it..."

In the midst of the Master's speech, a pretty seventeen year-old girl slowly began to move her orb farther off the ground, before positioning it immediately behind the older Jedi. A mischievous smirk crossed the girl's face, as she winded the sphere back and prepared to launch it into her mentor's back.

Right as the girl was about to execute her plan, she felt herself lose hold over the orb. Her grin quickly faded, as she attempted to wrestle back control.

In a twist of irony, the orb launched back towards the girl, struck her in the torso, and she toppled over onto the stone floor in a heap.

The Master turned around with a raised eyebrow, "kriff around with the Force, however, and you'll _always_ get burned, Clara."

Clara rubbed her back and groaned as the other Padawans laughed at her expense, before the Master raised his hands to silence the room, "you are all dismissed for the day," Clara began to rise with the rest of the Padawans, but the Master stopped her, "except for _you_ , Miss Skywalker." A dejected look crossed over Clara's face as she sighed and turned to face the Master.

After the rest of the students had left, Clara began to offer her apologies, "I'm sorry, Master Katarn, it…" Clara trailed off mid-sentence as she stared in confusion at Katarn's beaming face.

Katarn chuckled heartily, "kid, if I wasn't used to your hijinks by this point, the stress would have killed me already, don't worry." Clara had been chosen as Katarn's apprentice since she first began her training as a small child. For reasons of conflicting interests, her father had wanted Clara to be trained by a non-family member. Master Katarn had become like an uncle to Clara, and the two shared a very close relationship.

Clara cocked her head slightly, "so what is this about?"

* * *

Clara and Katarn strode through the long, stone corridors of the Temple. The pair walked in silence, until Clara spoke up, "so why are we going to the storage-bay again?"

Katarn turned to face Clara, "patience, you'll see soon."

Clara brushed a stray strand of raven-hair behind her ear, "any word from my parents?" Her parents had been asked by the Republic to oversee diplomatic proceedings in the Mid-Rim.

"Yeah, they sent a transmission last night. Things are going well on Ord Mantell, and they should be back by next week." Katarn answered with a smile.

Clara's jade-eyes twinkled, "good."

The two reached the end of the hallway, and stopped in front of a door. Katarn pressed a button on a control panel, and the door slid open. Stepping to the side, he motioned for Clara to walk in ahead of him, before following her inside the room.

As Clara stepped inside, she glanced around the room. The floors were covered by crates that were presumably filled with galactic artifacts that the Jedi had recovered on missions.

Katarn walked over to one of the crates, and removed something from the container. The wise Jedi then turned, and slowly approached Clara. As he became closer, she knew what the object was; it was a lightsaber hilt.

"This lightsaber was used by both your father and grandfather," Katarn explained.

Clara stood in blind awe of the weapon before her. Her father had told her that he lost the saber during the Rebellion, and now, it was being held right in front of her eyes, "how..."

"Master Saganey recovered it from a merchant on Nar Shaddaa," Katarn looked his apprentice straight in the eye, "this lightsaber has been in your family since the age of the Old Republic," Katarn paused for a moment, "and your father wants you to have it after you're knighted," he extended the hilt towards her, "take it."

Clara gingerly grabbed the saber from her master's hand. She ran her fingers over the cold, metallic surface, before igniting the weapon. A pale-blue beam emerged from the end of the hilt with a resounding _buzz_. Clara swung the saber in short motions in front of her, mesmerized by the cyan glow.

Eventually, Clara turned off the saber, and returned it to Katarn, who placed his hand on her shoulder, "it has been my greatest honor to train you, kid, very soon, your training will be complete-"

A breathless Jedi appeared in the doorway, interrupting Katarn, "Master, you need to come to the briefing-room, _now_."

* * *

Clara anxiously paced back and forth in front of the briefing-room door. _What was going on?_ Every present member of the Jedi Council was there, as well as several Knights; things like this almost _never_ happened.

Eventually, the door slid open and the Jedi filed out, their faces solemn and reflecting deep graveness. Clara spotted her master in the midst of the group, and approached him, "Master,"

Katarn continued to walk, "the Republic shipyards over Kuat are under attack, I'm leading the defense."

Clara's eyes widened, "what? Who is it? The First Order?"

Katarn shook his head, "I don't know, but it seems doubtful; the war's been over for decades."

Determination crossed Clara's face, "well, I need to go."

Katarn stopped and turned to face her, "Clara, you're not ready."

Clara folded her arms, "the Republic is going to need all the help they can get, and besides," she bit her bottom lip, "what else do I have to learn?"

Katarn looked her in the eye, before answering her in a near-whisper, "much more than you know, my young Padawan".

The veteran Jedi turned and left Clara to her thoughts. She _was_ ready; she understood that Master Katarn was only being protective, but he said it himself: her training was nearly complete, and soon she would be Knighted. Her father was Grand Master of the Order, and one of the most respected Jedi in history. She was at the top of her classes, and held incredible prowess with the Force in spite of her age. The Republic was calling for help, and she _had_ to answer.

* * *

The door to the storage-bay opened. Slipping inside, Clara quickly moved to the small box. She opened the lid, and removed the shiny, chrome hilt.

Clara clipped the hilt onto her belt, she _had_ to answer.


End file.
